Manufacturing Technology

Experts in advanced manufacturing and automated manufacturing technology are highly sought after around the nation in a diverse range of industries.

Manufacturing career opportunities include advanced manufacturing & robotics, CNC automation & programming, maintenance & engineering support, production, logistics & supply chain management, and much more.

Dordt's Manufacturing Technology program trains you to manage production, perform quality control, maintain machinery, oversee operations, handle workflow and assembly, as well as engage in more advanced manufacturing tasks.

Manufacturing Technology at dordt

Be challenged. Be changed.

 

Course Load:

Pro-Tech courses blend hands-on learning in advanced manufacturing with a strong biblical foundation and workplace skills that will make you a better communicator, collaborator, and management lead.

Your course load also includes a paid internship every semester so that you can gain valuable work experience and find the manufacturing career path that matches your interests and gifts. Details on course and semester credits appear in the two-year plan.

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Student Stories

Ben Kaul

Pro-Tech: Manufacturing Technology Major

Hometown

Tea, South Dakota

Scholarships I received

  • Century Need Based Scholarship,
  • Presidential Scholarship,
  • Vocal Music Activity Scholarship

Favorite Class

Industrial Assembly

Concept that Blew My Mind 

Dordt's community is incredibly supportive of one another especially in times of suffering and death.

Cool things I did at Dordt

I participated in the swing dancing club, it's pretty fun and a decent way to meet new people from other majors that you might not see otherwise (despite Dordt being a relatively small school). During the school year, I participated in Chorale and then the Canons of Dordt, which was fantastic fun to sing some barbershoppy tunes.

Obstacles I’ve overcome   

Depression and anxiety. Fear of success and comfort in failure.

Who I was when I came to Dordt  

Unsure of myself and unprepared for the rigors of studying engineering. I wasn't too engaged with student activities beyond the week of welcome. My dorm room was a haven to escape to, so I didn't get out much, although I made some great friends along the way somehow and still connect with them regularly. I visited one a week ago down in Missouri, which was a blessing to reconnect with him.

How Dordt Impacted me

Definitely, I've enjoyed the community at Dordt and so even by taking a couple years off to work, I knew I wanted to return at some point to get a degree in an area that had an overlap of designing and building. That happened to be the 2-year manufacturing degree, I had many opportunities to work with different companies and clubs throughout the couple years in addition to my classes. The internships with Rosenboom, Link and Coilcraft that I had helped me understand the workplace better and challenged me to think more about how my faith could shape my interactions with co-workers.

Where I am now 

I'm currently waffling between returning to Dordt for a business admin: management degree for an additional two years or continuing to work at Select Painting into this fall/winter. If I decide to continue working I'll likely look at applying at Raven Industries, Coilcraft, Link or Rosenboom or a different local manufacturing company.

What Would you tell prospective students 

Get involved in as many cross-discipline and cross-cultural groups and clubs as you can without putting a strain on your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Okay so that was one thing, but here's a few more tips: busyness is key to staying on track, but don't overextend yourself. Don't compare yourself and your activity level to your peers. Organization will help you out long-term, so set aside 15 minutes a day to tidying up your workspace. Balance is tough in life and perhaps especially during college or university, it's easy to pour yourself into one or two activities and forget the rest.

How Dordt has helped you Do More 

Dordt has helped me grow in confidence and in leadership. My experiences through PLIA as a student member and as a student leader have shaped me to consider leadership in other places of my life. Specifically CORE 258 (Leading and Serving Others) with Professor Randy Feenstra along with MFG 251 (Production Management and Lean Systems) with Professor Van Meeteren were instrumental in building my understanding of servant leadership.

Bryce Hiemstra

Pro-Tech: Manufacturing Technology Major

Hometown

Manteca, California

Favorite Class

Automation Lab

Concept that Blew My Mind 

Learning about lean management and automated processes really shaped my way of thinking as I look to make my way into the manufacturing industry.

Cool things I did at Dordt 

The internships I had were a major factor in my professional life. I made a number of industry connections and built my own network of professionals in the industry.

Obstacles I’ve overcome

Poor study habits and finding the right friends.

Who I was when I came to Dordt

Eager to learn and ready to live away from home.

How Dordt impacted me

I became a much more business-minded worker as a result of my classes at Dordt. Dordt taught me to constantly look for ways to improve myself and things I notice around me. Nothing is ever perfect and can always be improved!

Where I am now

Taking a gap year to let the world settle itself and working in Sioux County for now.

What would you tell prospective students

Come visit and follow a student around to get the full experience of campus life.

How Dordt has helped me Do More

Dordt has helped me become more than just a worker. I think differently and I have gained skills which employers find valuable.

A student and his professor work on a plywood wall.

Ben Kaul

Pro-Tech: Manufacturing Technology Major

Hometown

Tea, South Dakota

Pro-Tech Experience

What I like about Pro-Tech is the number of people that share the same vision of building the next generation of blue collar leaders. The new Agriculture Stewardship Center is physical proof of this! The local businesses have invested so much into the program and into Dordt. My favorite part is the community that Pro-Tech has already built.

Tim Floen, our manufacturing professor, cares a lot. He wants to see you succeed. I think that because Dordt has a low ratio of faculty to students, it is far more difficult to get through school without having someone who believes in you.

My favorite part of my internship has been interacting with supervisors, operators, and vendors. The relationships and culture have really made a difference for me. The work matters, but the people matter more.

Dordt is very good at providing opportunities to become engaged with other students and faculty. We're three-for-three with student engagement. This is a two-way street, faculty can try to engage, but if we as students refuse to respond, engagement isn't present. As students, we have a responsibility to future generations to continue to engage with one another and be excellent examples of Christ.

One of the co-curricular activities I participate in is the Trap Shooting Club—even though my best score is below 15/25 and my worst is below 5/25. I also participate in Chorale, which has been a blessing to practice with and a way to challenge my voice. I would recommend finding co-curriculars to participate in as these help build community and help give a person healthy outlets for the stresses and anxiety that come along with hard classes and busy schedules.

A male student standing in front of tall grass.

Cole Boonstra

Pro-Tech: Manufacturing Technology Major

Hometown

North Haledon, New Jersey

Internship Experience

“Attending Dordt has been a great experience so far, but what I like the most is the uniqueness of this college. To me, there is no other school like Dordt that could have provided as much as it already has for me,” says Cole Boonstra, a freshman studying manufacturing technology.

Cole interns at Demco, a local agriculture equipment manufacturer. Cole has learned about fabrication in manufacturing, assembly, quality control, machining, MIG welding, and running and diagnosing a robotic welder. “I look forward to continuing my internship at Demco and learning more as well,” says Cole.

Cole appreciates the balance between his classes and internship. “My favorite part about the Pro-Tech program is getting the opportunity to go to class and learn from a teaching standpoint, and as well learning through the hands-on standpoint that the majority of the classes have,” says Cole. “On top of this are the internships given out, that we get to go out into the working world as well as going to school at the same time.”

A male student works with machinery.

Bryce Hiemstra

Pro-Tech: Manufacturing Technology Major

Hometown

Manteca, California

pro-tech EXPERIENCE

“Two years ago, I was a senior in high school with no clue about what I wanted to do with my life. I was an average student who really disliked school but loved to work,” says Bryce Hiemstra.

Bryce is now in his second year of studying manufacturing technology through Dordt’s Pro-Tech program.

“I didn’t plan to go to a college, but then they started talking about this Pro-Tech program. I heard about internships and hands-on training and classes and I knew I had to check Dordt out,” says Bryce.

The manufacturing technology program has already helped him to learn many new skills. 

“Back in high school, I never would have thought that I’d be operating robotic welders,” he says. “My co-workers are helpful and I’m learning quickly.”

Bryce has experienced incredible growth as he’s gone through the Pro-Tech program.

“Over the course of the program so far, I’ve seen myself grow in ways I never would have realized,” he says. “It’s a truly unique program that combines our faith into every aspect. This program has turned me into a student who loves school. Pro-Tech has been a tremendous blessing in my life and it’s doing a great job preparing me to serve God’s kingdom however it may be.”

Bryce also has made great friends while living on Dordt’s campus. “My favorite part about living on campus is the friendships I’ve made,” he says. “I’ve made so many new friends since first semester, and I love being able to hang out with them and develop long-lasting relationships with them.” 

Bryce has also met people in the community that make him feel more at home in Sioux Center. “It’s amazing to be invited over to people’s homes on Sundays for some home-cooked meals,” he says. “It’s also great to meet people of the same faith and to grow in faith with them as you go through college.”

Watch this short video to learn more about Bryce's internship experience at Demco.